Star Wars (2024 Owen Laramore film)
Star Wars is a 2024 American 3-D computer-animated epic space-opera film produced by Owen Laramore Productions in partnership with Lucasfilm, and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The eighth theatrical Owen Laramore film, the film was directed by Gary Krisel and written by Jane Goldman, and features the voices of Luke Wilson, Michael C. Hall, Morgan Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jim Hanks, Ben Burtt, Dana Carvey, and Frank Welker. Rob Minkoff served as executive producer. Michael Giacchino composed the film's music. Star Wars was released theatrically in the United States on May 13, 2024, to critical and commercial success, grossing $646 million on a $200 million budget. It was also noted for having a positive audience reception before it even premiered. Many critics and audiences also noted its faithfulness to George Lucas's works. Star Wars received three awards: Flamingo Award, Critics' Choice Award, and Saturn Award, all for Best Animated Feature. The film was also nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 97th Academy Awards, but lost to ''The Friendly Lion''. Plot Luke Skywalker and Han Solo are two space opera warriors protecting the galaxy. One day, they received a call from Obi-Wan Kenobi that Darth Vader's Stormtroopers have kidnapped Princess Leia. They go after the Stormtroopers, but they shoot Luke's ship, and they land on the planet Tatooine. Luke and Han meet up with R2-D2 and C-3PO. They inform the two that the only way to get to Darth is to get help from Luke's Jedi trainer, Yoda. Yoda is on the planet Dagobah, so they fly there to help him. They save Yoda and Chewbacca, but they are sent by an surging light to the planet Hoth. On Hoth, Luke, Han, C-3PO, R2-D2, Yoda, and Chewbacca follow a trail of footprints left by the Stormtroopers, leading them to a confrontation with Palpatine (a.k.a. the Emperor), who refuses to let the gang follow the stormtroopers' path, and knows to let them do so would risk destroying Hoth. Luke tries to overpower him, but Palpatine sends them off the trail, and onto the Planet Mustafar. In Mustafar, the bridge they try to cross gradually crumbles when Darth Vader blows the risers to smithereens. It seems like all hope is lost, but Han remembers the Planet Coruscant. Luke, Hans, C-3PO, R2-D2, Yoda, and Chewbacca send themselves to Coruscant, where they land learn from Rey that Darth is planning to kill Leia. With this information, they sneak into the Death Star without anyone knowing, and find Leia. Darth Vader spies on this and takes Luke. With angering rushing through his body, Luke confronts Darth. Han switches off the power to the Death Star. Darth's plan backfires, and the heroes escape before the Death Star explodes. Darth is arrested, Luke and Han are hailed heroes by the citizens of Earth, and Leia kisses Luke. During the credits, Luke and Han continue to spend their days protecting the galaxy and saving the people of Earth. Cast * Luke Wilson as Luke Skywalker * Michael C. Hall as Han Solo * Morgan Freeman as Darth Vader * Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Leia * Jim Hanks as C-3PO * Ben Burtt as R2-D2 * Dana Carvey as Yoda * Frank Welker as Chewbacca * Common as Obi-Wan Kenobi * Mark "Rhino" Smith as Palatine * Katie Holmes as Ren * Jason VanBorssum, Will Ryan, Gary Marsh, and Gary Krisel as Stormtroopers Production Development It was announced in 2021 that Lucasfilm had joined forces with Owen Laramore Entertainment to produce an entirely computer-animated Star Wars film, with Gary Krisel directing; Krisel had previously directed the Walt Disney Wonder Studios film ''Stellaluna''. Jane Goldman was hired to pend the screenplay. George Lucas wanted the film's tone to be more perplexing, so Goldman wrote a new plot where the Stormtroopers kidnap Leia under the orders of Darth Vader, prompting Luke Skywalker and Han Solo to rescue her. Casting Luke Wilson and Michael C. Hall were cast as Luke Skywalker and Han Solo in 2022. Billy Dee Williams was to voice Darth Vader, but this was too obviously incoherent, and he was replaced with Morgan Freeman. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, known for her roles in A Bug's Life and Onward, signed in as the voice of Leia. Jim Hanks provided robotic motion capture for the voice of C-3PO designed by Ben Burtt, who also voiced R2-D2. Dana Carvey and Frank Welker joined the cast two months later in December 2023. Music The music for the film was composed by Michael Giacchino, who is known for his musical involvements with The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Up, Cars 2, Inside Out, Zootopia, Coco, Incredibles 2, Disney In The House: World Animals, Horton And The Kwuggerbug, and Zootopia 2. Reception Box office Star Wars cost $200 million to make. It has grossed $256 million in the United States and Canada, and $$390 million in other territories. It ended its theatrical run on August 5, 2024, on Laramore's 20th birthday, grossing a worldwide total of $624 million and finishing behind The Friendly Lion. Critical response The film has a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The consensus reads, "As far as Star Wars goes in this far, far, away galaxy, it marks another Owen Laramore Entertainment success'. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, signed Star Wars a score of 88 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A+" on a A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it a score of 95% and a 95% "definite recommend". Jeff York of Creative Screenwriting called the film "delightful to the live-action Star Wars ''sagas". He wrote, "If you're looking for an animated space-opera film, ''Star Wars is your answer". Peter Travers of Rolling Stone, who gave the film five out of five stars, praised the "promotional state", and lauded the vocal performances of Luke Wilson and Michael C. Hall as Luke Skywalker and Michael C. Hall, saying, "I was amazed by the vocal performances of Luke Wilson and Michael C. Hall. I gotta admit, those are two talented actors. Owen Laramore films are great with the wit brought by talented actors. It's cool on everyone's opinions".